


Poison

by Kingshadow486



Category: Voltron Force
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2018-05-23
Packaged: 2019-01-08 12:20:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12254283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kingshadow486/pseuds/Kingshadow486
Summary: Daniel struggles with his Haggarium infection, while Vince struggles to come to terms with his feelings for his best friend.





	1. Revelation

            Daniel had a bit of a problem. Well, he had quite a few problems but currently the little Haggarium infection was at the back of his mind. Ok, maybe it was the forefront of his mind. He was getting better at keeping it under control, but that was only a lie to himself. He was barely managing to keep it from surfacing. Fortunately, with Lotor and Maahox dead, there was no more Haggarium to deal with externally that might cause him to act up. Unfortunately, the little voice nagging at the back of his mind wasn’t so little anymore. It took all his energy to not focus on what the voice told him, let alone focus on whatever might be happening around him. Today he was in listening to Keith lecture Larmina, Vince, and himself on battle tactics. Even though the two of them were full pilots now, there was still much they didn’t know, which they accepted begrudgingly. They only became pilots two months ago, they didn’t have the years of experience the others had.

            “They became pilots, now they sit here and pity you by sitting in on your lectures. How weak they must think you, if you’d only let me help you we could show them how wrong they are.” The voice was louder, unable to be blocked. Vince couldn’t hear this through their telepathy, plus they’d gotten good at only letting certain thoughts be heard. The new Green Paladin didn’t know how bad his infection was getting, so neither did Larmina. No one else had found out, either, which was good. Daniel had quickly become a good liar, even to his best friend. Like when he lied about prodding into Vince’s mind farther than normal and finding some subconscious thoughts like “Daniel looks cute today” or “Pidge really is crazy.” Little things like that kept him sane, against the Haggarium. Learning Vince had a little crush on him was something he would have to think about, but at least it confirmed that the evil voice was wrong.

            “Daniel.” Keith’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink.

            “Care to repeat what I just explained?” He could feel all eyes on him now, further raising his embarrassment.

            “Look at the way they view you, scrutinizing and harsh. They should be looking up to you as their leader, not some cadet. You know you want them to see you as a real pilot of Voltron, that’s obvious to even them. Taking it by force is the only way they will see you as anything of worth.” Daniel shook his head, hoping to rid himself of the voice.

            “I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. I will from now on.” Keith nodded, a small smirk crossing his lips. Daniel knew when and where to lie, and the Force knew all too well when he was bullshitting them. Most of the time, that is. Keith was talking about how splitting up could be dangerous, but effective in the right situations. For a force that relied so heavily on teamwork, solo-flying seemed pointless. But then what’s the use in great pilots if they can’t handle a foe on their own should the team be unable to help? It made some sense to Daniel, but not all.

            “I can make you powerful enough to be that one pilot, the one that can save your friends from any danger.” That voice, to be honest, was getting really fucking annoying.

            After their lesson, they were free to go for the rest of the day. With no true threat to the universe for the time being, their work was easing up. They were more like a last resort, and right now there was nothing that needed their full attention. In his room, Daniel was desperately trying to ignore the voice. Every passing day, it was getting hard to tell if it was his own voice or the infection he heard.

            “Daniel?” The third voice in his head made him jump, but it was welcome. Vince gave him something to focus on.

            “Yeah, what’s up, Vince?” It kind of amazed Daniel how normal Vince acted around him despite having a crush on him. Maybe it was like that from the beginning? No, stop thinking about that he might hear that.

            “You’ve been acting a little strange lately. Are you doing ok? Do you need any help with the infection, or is it about Keith?” Damn, that hit the mark right away. He wouldn’t tell him, but getting rejected as the Black Pilot was still heavy on his shoulders. He didn’t resent Keith or anything, he understood why it was taken away and that it was the right thing to do, but he still carried some bitterness. That only stirred his infection more.

            “Yeah, I guess I’m still a little angry about it, but I’ll fine. Sorry to worry you. The infection, I’ve got that under control.”

            “Are you sure? I can try to help with my powers. Didn’t you say it helps even a little?” That, too, was a lie. Somehow, Vince’s powers had no effect on the infection. Not even their connection helped, when Daniel was able to use Vince’s powers.

            “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. You go back to being a Lion Pilot now, all right? I have some relaxing to do.” Daniel smiled a little at the small chuckle he heard from his best friend. At least he could find solace in the fact that his lies worked, and eased their worrying. The last thing he wanted was for them to worry about him. He wasn’t going to be a burden. After some concentration, he was able to fall asleep in his bunk.

            “Have you noticed Daniel acting strange lately?” Vince asked the other Pilots, looking up from his data pad. They weren’t really doing much, idle chit-chat filling the room. However, Vince was worried for his friend turned crush, and he needed all the help he could get. Everyone was in the room aside from Coran as he was away on Council duties, and Daniel.

            “Well if you mean how he got kicked out of the Black Lion and turned sour on us, then yeah, he’s acting a bit different.” Lance, blunt as always, drove the point home in a sarcastically accurate way. A few looks were exchanged between the group, all knowing too well.

            “I would have thought he’d gotten over it by now,” Keith started, “but since we chose him to Pilot when he wasn’t ready, it’s not like we can say we know him perfectly. I already tried to talk to him about it.” Keith had tried, several times in fact which was out of the ordinary, but Daniel had always brushed him off.

            “Maybe the person who personally took the key back shouldn’t try.” Allura said with a small, sad smile. Keith huffed at the response, earning a smile from the others.

            “Vince, Larmina, maybe you two could try. Even if you two are Pilots now, you’re still closer to Daniel than any of us are.” Hunk piped in now. He would have been a viable option, but the new Pilots were a better option.

            “I guess, he’ll still close up at the mention of it though. We’ll try our best.” Larmina said with a sigh. Vince would have more luck than her, but maybe they could at least pressure him into talking.

            “That will have to wait. Vince, we still need to run some tests. Creating a cure for Sven is our top priority right now.” Pidge said and brought up a trove of data on the main screen. Daniel crossed his mind at the mention of a cure, hoping they did in fact find one.

            “You don’t need them, with me you could take all of Voltron for yourself. Just like you had before, to control and be the sole Defender of the Universe.” The voice was back. It sounded like everyone they had ever fought; Sky Marshal Wade, Maahox, Kala, Lotor, and some other feminine voice all in one. The voice sounded all around him, and directly in his mind at the same time. He could see the team looking down on him, curses and cruel words. Keith taking the Black Lion key, the Lion itself devouring him, everything fading to dark.

            “Daniel, how could you lie about your infection? How could you lie to me, after everything we’ve been through? To think I liked you more than a friend.” Somewhere, he knew it was a dream. But the Vince in front of him, condemning him, was too real. His words cut deeper than any of the rest of the dream; no, nightmare.

            “I can help you, stop all of that from happening.” He could feel a figure lurking around him, like smoke. The voice was everywhere, and it was making more and more sense. When Daniel woke, it was with a scream.

            Vince was heading back to his room when he heard the scream in his mind. No, was that real? It was definitely Daniel so he rushed to his friend’s room. When he entered Daniel was already up, his hands out towards Vince.

            “Don’t come any closer!” He shouted, his head pounding. What perfect timing Vince had, really just the best.

            “Daniel what’s wrong? Wait, is this your infection? What’s happening?” Vince was ready to potentially stop Daniel from running or hurting him, but he knew he wouldn’t stop him if he chose the first. He’d still try though.

            “Vince, I can’t be around you, it isn’t safe. Please just let me go, I don’t want to hurt anyone.” He looked at Vince with a painful look, his eyes beginning to turn purple. Vince widened his eyes, realising the extent of the infection now. He was hiding it the whole time? But why?

            “I said move!” With that Daniel pulled his claws out and rushed past Vince, knocking him to the ground. He was no doubt out of the castle in an instant.

            “Vince, we just picked up a massive Haggarium spike at your location! Are you ok, what’s going on?” Pidge said through his Voltcom quickly.

            “I’ll be in the control room to explain…” No use in hiding it anymore when Daniel was in serious danger. Vince got up and ran to the control room as fast as he could. He could feel panic flooding his body quickly; he had no way of finding Daniel besides the Haggarium or his Voltcom, both of which could be basically turned off.

            “He’s what?!” Pidge seemed the most vocally surprised at the revelation, the others still not taking it well.

            “So, you’re telling me the three of you kept this a secret from us the whole time when he was a risk to us and you, even the whole universe when he was in the Lions?” Keith was visibly angry, Lance less so. Allura and Hunk seemed deeply saddened, as if by the fact Daniel didn’t trust them. Pidge, as always, was already formulating plans.

            “This is why he didn’t want you to know! He knew you would react this way, you could even kick him off the team permanently! Do you really think Daniel, of all people, would come clean about something that could ruin his lifelong dream?” Larmina was scolding pretty well, talking after her aunt. Vince wasn’t going to tell her that of course, knowing it would end in a swift punch.

            “That’s not all…” Vince said timidly, wincing a bit when all eyes turned on him again. Larmina looked at him in shock, not expecting to tell them about the telepathy either.

            “Oh please, tell us all about the secret lives you were leading that could have provided useful information to us. I’m glad the whole ‘team’ aspect of Voltron has been thrown out the window.” Lance spoke now, letting his anger more known.

            “Shut it, Lance, now’s not the time. Go ahead, Vince.” Allura said with a small smile, though it was forced. She wasn’t happy they kept secrets, but she could see the reasoning. More importantly, anger was not the way forward.

            “The infection happened when he was inside Voltron with the spider Robeast. When it was trying to merge their minds, the process was already started before I stopped it. The thing is, since we were both in there are the same time, it somehow connected our minds. I can speak to Daniel telepathically, and we can even share powers. We found out the powers part when Lotor invaded with his army of Lotors. That’s how I got to the green Lion so quickly.” While the others let that sit in, Pidge was astounded before the others. Hearing telepathy was probably why.

            “So being inside Voltron connected the two of you, fascinating. Can you find him with it?” The slight twinge of hope in their eyes made Vince even more guilty.

            “No, we learned to block the other from our thoughts. We didn’t want everything to be shared, obviously, but when he ran I realized he’s far better at it than me. He’s only going to be found if he wants to be found.”

            “Pidge, keep scanning for his Voltcom or Haggarium, we have to find him. We’ll go searching in the Lions.” Keith stated and in moments the Pilots were off, leaving Allura and Pidge to worry.

            Vince would be lying if he wasn’t worried out of his mind, but at least he knew the others were worried too. No matter how angry they were, they still cared deeply for Daniel and letting him deal with this alone was not in their agenda.

            “We’ll find him Vince, don’t worry.” Larmina said through a private channel to the Green Lion Pilot. Larmina had caught on to the crush, the other’s beginning to see it too. Especially since she told them. Really, everyone knew Vince had a crush on Daniel, even Daniel. But they had to work it out themselves, which they all could respect. It also prompted them make sure to keep an eye on Vince now that Daniel was in danger.

            “You’ve already lost.” Daniel really hated it when someone was right, but now he absolutely despised it. The voice was right, he lost. He couldn’t hold the Haggarium back anymore, he’d given in. The whispers and nightmares got to him, the thoughts wormed their way in. Maybe he deserved to succumb to the infection, he couldn’t stop it. Now he was on the run, a danger to the whole planet. He wasn’t a match for any of the Pilots, but with the Haggarium taking control he could probably do some real damage. The sound of a Lion flying overhead made him jump. His body wasn’t in his control, his will not his own any longer. But he could still sense everything. His mind was slowly slipping away. If he wasn’t fighting every waking second, he would be gone. Thankfully he didn’t have to fight physically.

            “Daniel…please, come back.” The quiet voice in the back of his mind snapped him back to reality. Vince was trying to get to him. He called out with all his strength, trying to claw his way to any scrap of humanity. After what felt like hours of trying, he could feel his message got through. As relief washed over him, he found it was short lived. The darkness grabbed hold of him and pulled him deeper than before, his senses going dark. He lost, he hated, and it only made the darkness stronger.

            “Vince, I’m sorry, all I can see are trees. I didn’t mean to lie, I didn’t want you to worry.” When he heard Daniel’s voice, his eyes snapped open.

            “Guys, I heard Daniel! He said he can see trees, but…I think he’s gone. We have to hurry!” Slightly relieving, slightly terrifying.

            “Got him! I searched for Haggarium traces in any forests based on his top speed radius in the time he was-” Pidge’s voice came from the coms, a marking showing up on their map of Arus. Before he finished, Lance interrupted.

            “We get it Pidge, you got him. We’re heading there now.” Even with the extreme seriousness of the situation, everyone cracked a smile. Maybe the antics provided an uneasy distraction, but it was nonetheless enjoyable. The Lions quickly encircle where Daniel was, leaving little room for him. The Pilots disembarked quickly and soon they were almost within arm’s distance of each other around Daniel. It was his body, but it was easily not his mind. The look in his eyes were calculating, tactic, leering, and purple. Daniel was reckless and strong for his age. Unfortunately for them, that first trait was gone.

            “Come on Daniel, don’t do anything rash.” Lance spoke, everyone drawing their weapons. After he spoke, he narrowly dodged three claws shot directly at his head.

            “Ok, I get it if you’re angry, but you know we’re going to kick your ass, right?” At that “Daniel” began to laugh. It sounded genuine, but given the circumstances it was unsettling.

            “We’ll see. Not even Vince’s powers could stop me, what makes you think you can without hurting me for real?” Another harsh reality; they wanted to disarm Daniel, not kill him. Daniel however, was more than happy to tear them to shreds at the moment. In a blur of movement, he was upon Lance, taking swipe after swipe at him. The dodges were close to begin with, but after a few moments they became blocks, and with a hit to his Voltcom, the pistols disappeared. Take out the only ranged enemy to make it a one on one the entire time. Then he was on Hunk, then Keith, then Larmina, then Hunk, then Vince. He was moving so fast that it seemed unnatural even for hi standards. Lance managed to get his Voltcom working again, but now they were all on the defensive. If he got a lucky hit in, they would be out a weapon for the rest of the fight. Against someone out for blood, not a recommended strategy.

            When he went for Vince again, Vince didn’t defend himself. Everyone panicked, but the claws stopped an inch away from his face. Daniel’s own face was strained, his arm shaking.

            “Come on Daniel, I know you can fight it.” He said aloud and in their minds, hoping that would help. Daniel was desperately trying to take control again. The infection was weakening, but still had a strong grip on his mind. Vince reached up and held Daniel’s hand, trying his powers one last time. The energy flowed from him to Daniel, but as soon as it did there was an explosion of force. Both of them went flying in opposite directions, luckily Hunk caught Vince. Daniel landed on his back, holding his head while screaming. His eyes were flashing a mix of purple and white, the intense positive and negative energy flowing through his body. After a violent convulsion, his body went limp. Keith rushed over and turned his Voltcom, letting Pidge gain access to his vitals.

            “He’s not doing well. His heartrate is low and his brain activity is sporadic. You need to get him back to the Castle now.” With that Keith took Daniel to the Black Lion and they all returned home. Vince was disoriented, but otherwise fine after the blast. Once inside Daniel was taken to the medical bay. Once down he was hooked up to a monitor and a few instruments to help keep his heartrate steady, and his wrists tied down. After some consideration, the Voltcom was taken off, too. Now all they could do was hope for the best. They couldn’t fight this battle for him, not even help. Not until they had a cure, or at least some way of keeping the infection down. Vince was their best bet, which added more pressure and slight comfort to the Green Pilot. He was the only hope for his best friend and crush.


	2. Solutions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The clock is ticking!

            “He’s in a coma, I don’t think we’ll be able to wake him unless we’re able to cure him.” Pidge said aloud while typing away on a tablet. In the main hall the Force was gathered to work on how they could find a cure for Daniel’s Haggarium infection. There were few ideas to throw around, really. Nothing had worked thus far since Haggarium was so volatile and unpredictable, so it created a standstill. Vince was their best bet, but the silence didn’t exactly yield answers.

            “Well…we could go look for Sven.” Larmina piped up after what felt like hours of deafening silence.

            “We know he’s still alive, he ended up killing Lotor when we found him on that ice world. If we bring him here, or even go there, Vince can test his powers on him. We know it won’t kill him, right?” With that she looked at Pidge, who was the one who knew the most about his condition.

            “Well it would be better to go to him, I believe he had said the cold helps keep the infection down. Worst case scenario we don’t find a cure, right? I don’t exactly have any better ideas, either.” After exchanging some glances with the others, Keith gave the former green pilot a nod.

            “Pidge, Vince, and I will find Sven to see if a cure can be made. The rest should stay here in case his situation changes, or something comes up elsewhere in the galaxy.” After a few exchanged glances the team nodded then began to make preparations. Ice planets weren’t exactly the most hospitable of places.

            In relative quick time the team was ready to split up, only wishing each other good luck before departing. No one wanted to waste time, and the heaviness of the situation didn’t leave much room for pleasantries.

            “Vince.” That was anticipated. Vince knew Keith was going to give him a talk on the way to Sven. How could he not, that’s what he did.

            “I’m glad that you did end up telling us about his situation, but you should have told us from the beginning. We could have avoided this entire situation.” He sounded so disappointed. Wow, he really was like the team dad.

            “I know, but it was Daniel. He knew it would break trust, not to mention hurt his chances at being a Lion Pilot. It was the reason he went crazy when Mahox attacked Earth, actually. Plus, well, it’s difficult when you’re in each other’s heads. It takes a lot of work to hide your thoughts when you’re used to them always being private. The emotions, they mix. I could always feel his fears, his anxiety, his everything. It’s…weird to not feel anything now. But I won’t make the same mistake again.” Behind him, Vince could hear Pidge typing away. He was sure the former pilot was taking notes on how their mental connection worked, but he was also probably trying his best to think of a cure.

            “All right. I just had to make sure.” With that, the rest of their trip was silent save for console noises and Pidge’s occasional typing. There wasn’t anything left to be said. Once the approach to the ice world began, Pidge began to scan for Sven. Haggarium or life signs, either would do. It didn’t take long to find him, since there were no storms as of yet. He’d made his way back to the old fortress to live in, giving them easy access to shelter when a storm did inevitably hit.

            “Why are you here, my friends? I told you it is too dangerous to be around me.” Was the ‘warm welcome’ they received. Although the looks on their faces didn’t exactly shout positivity.

            “One of our cadets is infected with Haggarium too. He’s in a coma after it took control of him, so we came to you to find a cure.” Pidge stated and gave a sad smile. It was not going to be an easy road ahead of them.

            “I have these…powers. It’s like it’s the same energy that comes from Voltron. I’ve used it to help Daniel before, and it’s our best bet at finding a cure. So, I’d have to, test them on you to make any progress since he’s in a worse condition. It could go bad.” Vince didn’t know Sven at all, other than stories, so he didn’t know how he would answer. It’s not like he wanted to die, he had son to come back to after all.

            “I will help you. If anything too dangerous comes of it, I’m sure the infection will keep me alive. The pain I can endure, especially if it will lead to a cure.” He then lead them inside deeper into the fortress, speaking with Keith quietly as they walked. The former and now current Green Pilots let out sighs of relief. A yes was a good start.

            So was the beginning of a long journey. Vince counted the days, weeks, and even months that passed as they sought a cure for the infection. It was easy to get rid of the Haggarium, it was keeping the host alive afterwards that was tricky. All other times he could just wipe it out since it was an enemy or a monster, but he couldn’t go full out on it. The first month alone they just tested how much Sven was able to take and how much Daniel would be able to take once they got back. His condition only grew worse with time. Besides the expected decrease in physical fitness, the infection seemed to slowly spread throughout his body. It was contained in his brain from what it seemed since it was a mental issue, but such a substance, with what could only be described as magic, grew.

            Sven was a very willing test subject, and always seemed happy to help. He enjoyed the company after so long in isolation, but the idea of getting to a cure seemed to excite him. As for the pain, Vince was able to give it most of his effort and the older Pilot could handle it. He almost felt bad each time he did, but then Sven would tell him to go again and he’d focus again. Other than that nothing changed. There was the occasional issue that the other Pilots were called on for, but someone was always at the Castle with Daniel while Pidge and Vince worked to find that cure.

            “Do you think you could use your powers to amplify the mental connection?” Pidge wasn’t one to go outside what he knew, but Haggarium tended to break a lot of rules about how the universe works, not to mention he was tired of finding dead ends in their research.

            “Like, the telepathy stuff?” Vince asked and looked up from his pad. He hadn’t thought about that.

            “Well you said you could share your Voltcom powers with each other, so that means the connection is more than just communicating with each other. You could clear his body of the Haggarium no problem after this much practice, but it would still remain unless you can do something about the infection in his mind.” Sven was the only one out of the group that was still active. The others were quite dishevelled, and it was showing significantly with Pidge. He could only take so much constant work, after all.

            “I can give it a try. If Sven is up for it of course, I’ll go ask him. He should be in the usual spot since it’s the middle of the day.” Vince got up from his seat and walked towards the main hall, where Keith and Sven usually were. The open space was the easiest place for them to practice since there tended to be a lot of extra discharge of energy. True to his word, Sven and Keith were talking over some documents. After the months of isolation and testing they had more data than they could possibly use.

            “Hey Sven, Pidge came up with another idea for us to try. Daniel’s infection is deep in his subconscious, and that’s where I haven’t been trying to get my powers to work I want to try making a connection with your mind, if that’s all right.” All Vince could do was shrug. If it worked, right?

            “Ah, I see what you mean. We can try that.” After clearing the space again Vince signalled Pidge through his Voltcom to join them. After setting up probably too many monitors and probes to track their mental activity, he gave them the thumbs up. Sven had to lean down due to the height difference, but Vince quickly placed his hands on his temples. Focusing his energy, allowing it to flow into Sven, he then boosted it in any attempt to form a connection. In an instant he was suddenly not there, in some space. Everything was purple, but still empty. There weren’t structures, or stars, or planets, or anything. Devoid of everything except that sinister shade of purple.

            “Sven! Sven, where are you?” He called out, looking around. Off in the distance the shimmer of light caught his eye, causing him to move toward it. After what seemed like forever he came upon the blue light, flickering barely in the vast nothingness. Vince knew what he had to do in that moment. Focusing his powers, he sent a burst into the light. The light grew into a small flame. Another burst and the flame grew larger. Soon the flame was roaring and bigger than Vince himself, like a bonfire. One last burst and the flame exploded into a bright light, knocking Vince out.

            “Vince! Wake up!” Suddenly he was awake with Pidge shaking him. Then he noticed the splitting headache he had. Maybe saving people wasn’t worth it after all.

            “You two were just standing there then suddenly you both collapsed! What did you do?” Vince steadied himself which caused Pidge to stop shaking him, much to his relief. Taking a moment to look around, Keith had Sven supported as he woke up as well.

            “Pidge check him for the infection.” Keith stated plainly. Sven looked the same, at least, so it all depended on what the data showed. After making sure Vince was fine on his own, Pidge got up and went back over to his monitors. Soon both of them were standing now, waiting for his answer.

            “It’s…gone. I can’t find any of it.” Keith held a hand up to stop Vince and Sven from speaking too soon as Pidge continued to look through different results and scans. After five minutes he looked at them and gave shrug.

            “We did it! Sven, you’re cured! And this means we can go cure Daniel now!” Vince cheered, pumping his fist into the air. Sven looked relieved mostly as he felt over his neck. The scar was still there but he didn’t wince when he touched it, and it didn’t glow purple.

            “We need to leave ASAP then. Start packing up and we’ll be back to Arus in a few hours.” Renewed with vigor the four began to pack all of the equipment up, including Sven’s supplies. He wouldn’t have to live in isolation any longer, after all. To his word, Keith had the small team leaving the icy world hopefully good in a relatively short amount of time.

            “Castle of Lions, do you copy? This is Vince, calling the Castle of Lions. Does anyone read?” It took a moment but Allura picked up.

            “Vince? You weren’t due to check in for another two days. Has something changed?” From what he could tell she was using her Voltcom, which means she was actually away. Wait, they could route calls through their Voltcoms?

            “We found a cure, we’re on our way back to Arus right now. Where are you, is no one at the Castle?” That wasn’t a pleasant thought. It was highly unlikely that Daniel’s condition would change, but no supervision didn’t help his anxiety all that much.

            “I’m elsewhere on Arus and the Pilots got called out on a mission. Coran is there but he’s quite busy, so I told him I’d take any calls that might come through. He should have the camera feed up in his office, however. I’ll be back there as quickly as I can, and I’ll make sure to tell the others. Now hurry!” She hung up before Vince could reply in anyway, which would have been with sarcasm. As if they weren’t moving as fast as they could already.

            It was clear that Allura had beat them to the Castle when they arrive, but the others still had yet to return. Sven and Keith opted to start unpacking their equipment while Pidge and Vince rushed to Daniel. Allura and Coran joined them on the way, allowing Pidge to explain how they’d cured Sven.

            “Do you still have a headache?” Allura asked Vince once they got to the room, stopping him right as he was about to open the door.

            “Yeah, but what does it matter? I can cure him right now!”

            “I know Vince, but that means you should wait. Your powers aren’t going anywhere, and neither is he. We have his vitals already, we’ll know if his condition changes. I don’t want you to rush in there and get yourself hurt for his sake when it’s unnecessary.”  Sometimes Vince really hated when Allura was right, but she was right pretty much all the time, so he didn’t have room to complain.

            “Ugh, fine! I’ll wait. I guess it means the others will be here when he wakes up.” The trip back felt like years, but just waiting for the rest of the team to show up felt like a lifetime. He was so close, so close to saving Daniel from this curse, and he had to wait. To Allura’s merit his headache did fade, allowing him to clear his mind somewhat.

            “Vince! Did you do it, where’s Daniel?” Opening his eyes, Vince could see Larmina running up to him followed by Lance and Hunk.

            “Not yet, we were waiting for you. And for my headache to clear, Allura wouldn’t let me do it otherwise. Come on, lets go.” Standing, Vince made his way to Daniel’s room while Larmina scoffed. That was her aunt, all right. Even with something so serious she still thought it out.

            “I’ll need someone to catch me, apparently.”

            “Whoa, what do you mean catch? Are you going to flying once this is over?” Lance’s tone suggested he didn’t have much faith in the plan anymore.

            “Well when I did it with Sven earlier we both collapsed. That actually might be why I have a headache, or you know, it could be the whole going into another person’s mind thing. Larmina, you should probably head outside with the others. Hunk and Lance can catch me and make sure Daniel doesn’t hurt himself when he wakes up.

            Vince didn’t even pay attention as Larmina left the room since he was already focusing on Daniel. Doing exactly as he did before, he let the energy flow between himself and Daniel, sparking that mental connection again. In an instant he was nowhere. Only this time nowhere was familiar. Everything was still purple, everything still nothing, but he’d been there before. It was just like the last time he spoke to Daniel in their minds before he lost control. Searching for the spark wasn’t difficult, it was right where it should have been. It was so small now, barely visible even up close. The dim, green flicker of light that was keeping him alive. Determined to make it right, Vince copied what he did with Sven. Wave after wave of energy to let the fire grow until it could sustain itself. Until it could wipe away purple icker, replacing it with the starry night sky that Vince was used to seeing there. It was difficult to describe until now, how beautiful it felt. Sven’s mind had been like a grassy green field with the ocean in the distance, but Daniel’s was the full night sky.

            “Hey there buddy, I got you.” Hunk was the first thing he heard when he came to. Which should make sense, since there was a 50/50 he would be the one to stop him from hitting the ground. He had another headache, but it wasn’t as bad as the first one. Next to him Lance had a hand on Daniel’s shoulder, who was groaning as his eyes opened slowly.

            “What the…wait, where…?” His voice was raspy and weak, which was only logical.

            “Take it easy, you’re not exactly rearing to fight right now.” Lance chuckled, probably out of relief. It had been over four months since he entered his coma.

            “Where’s Vince?” With the help of the Red Pilot Daniel sat up, only to lock eyes with him. A little more help and he was propped up against the back of the small medical bed, leaving Lance to stand without the need to support him.

            “We’ll go get some food for you.” Hunk let Vince get situated in his chair again as the two pilots left, leaving Vince and Daniel alone to talk.

            “So…looks like you had to save me again, huh?” He seemed surprised at how shot his voice was, “How long have I been asleep like this?”

            “It’s been a few months, we went to Sven and I used my powers to find a cure. It comes at a terrible cost, though. Headaches.” That earned a smile from him, another good sign. Looking over at the panel next to his bed, Vince saw no signs of any irregularities. It really was gone. Which also meant he could take initiative. Pressing a button on his Voltcom, he leaned in just as the security footage cut out.

            “What? No! How are we supposed to know if they kissed or not??” Larmina shouted at the now blank screen in the main hall.

            “Well, looks like the bet is off, huh?” Lance had to hide his grin as Larmina glared at him. It’s not like he bet wrong, anyway, they don’t know what happened.

            “Come now Larmina, we should respect their right to privacy. It’s not our place to watch him now that we know he’s safe.”

            “I know you wanted to see it too!” Allura stayed silent, not admitting to it nor lying about it.

            Pulling back a little, Vince could feel his cheeks burning. At least no one else saw him kiss Daniel, right?

            “Well, I think I might still be in a coma, you just kissed me.” Daniel’s cheeks were slowly turning red as well, which helped a little.

            “Trust me, that was as real as it gets. No more coma’s or Haggarium messes, all right? This wasn’t exactly easy, getting you back and all.” He’d do it again and again, though. He was pretty sure that was an unspoken fact, however.

            “I don’t know, if comas mean kisses I better get on it.”


End file.
